1
a
: a cleansing and emulsifying agent made usually by action of alkali on fat or fatty acids and consisting essentially of sodium or potassium salts of such acids
b
: a salt of a fatty acid and a metal
2
Synonyms
Examples of soap in a Sentence
Noun
Make sure you use soap and water to wash your hands.
The store sells many different brands of liquid soaps.
Her first acting job was on a soap.
Verb
I soap my hair first when I take a shower.
He soaped and rinsed the car.
Recent Examples on the Web
Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 3 Apr. 2024
Inspectors observed large amounts of leftover meat on the meat slicer, as well as an employee was washing their hands with no soap after handling raw meat.
—Jacqueline Pinedo, Sacramento Bee, 29 Mar. 2024
Begin by scraping off any stuck-on residue, then proceed to wipe it down with dish soap and water.
—Katherine Owen, Southern Living, 27 Mar. 2024
Then, throw away the gloves and facemask, and wash your hands with soap and water.
—USA TODAY, 26 Mar. 2024
Wash your hands with soap and water frequently, especially after touching infected surfaces.
—Sarah Klein, Health, 26 Mar. 2024
Thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act, stock buybacks are now taxed, but Wall Street still doesn’t pay a real sales tax on its stock trades (called a financial transaction tax), while everyday people shopping on Main Street pay sales tax on essential goods like soap, jackets and shoes.
—Susan Harley, The Mercury News, 23 Mar. 2024
Chronicling the lives of ordinary teenagers rather than the glamorous cool kids found on other teen soaps at the time, Paul Feig’s dramedy was (fittingly) misunderstood by its network but later found a loyal cult following.
—Kevin Jacobsen and Hope Lasater, EW.com, 21 Mar. 2024
In 2021, during a stay at a mental health treatment center for prisoners, Williams kicked and threatened to spit on staff member, and hit one in the head with a bar of soap, according to a criminal complaint.
—Journal Sentinel, 20 Mar. 2024
Genevieve Ko, New York Times, 20 Nov. 2023
Set up an assembly line from soaping and scrubbing to rinsing to drying.
—Genevieve Ko, New York Times, 20 Nov. 2023
There’s also no need to soap yourself up twice in one day, my cousin reminds me.
—Byalexa Mikhail, Fortune Well, 21 July 2023
The Labigo Cordless Spin Scrubber makes cleaning easy, according to shoppers, eliminating the need to hunch over the bathtub and tirelessly tend to soap scum and hard water stains.
—Clara McMahon, Peoplemag, 12 Feb. 2023
This high-efficiency appliance has a unique two-stage detergent dispenser that releases soap in two different stages for more efficient cleaning power.
—Camryn Rabideau, Popular Mechanics, 25 Jan. 2023
Fill a large bucket or basin up with water, then use a cup to pour the water over your head once or twice to get wet and soap up, and another scoop or two to rinse off.
—Kaelyn Lynch, Outside Online, 25 Apr. 2021
Some chose to soap up the bottoms of their tube, while others extended their arms and legs in hopes of being aerodynamic.
—Amber Love Bond, Forbes, 5 July 2021
The original idea had also been bolstered by Ochoa’s own pre-filmmaking experience as a journalist wondering what went on behind the frosted glass and soaped up windows of north London’s secretive-looking Greek and Turkish social clubs.
—Alex Ritman, The Hollywood Reporter, 23 Apr. 2020
Noun
To prevent cracking and warping, always hand wash your bamboo utensils using warm water and mild dish soap.
—Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 3 Apr. 2024
Inspectors observed large amounts of leftover meat on the meat slicer, as well as an employee was washing their hands with no soap after handling raw meat.
—Jacqueline Pinedo, Sacramento Bee, 29 Mar. 2024
Begin by scraping off any stuck-on residue, then proceed to wipe it down with dish soap and water.
—Katherine Owen, Southern Living, 27 Mar. 2024
Then, throw away the gloves and facemask, and wash your hands with soap and water.
—USA TODAY, 26 Mar. 2024
Wash your hands with soap and water frequently, especially after touching infected surfaces.
—Sarah Klein, Health, 26 Mar. 2024
Thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act, stock buybacks are now taxed, but Wall Street still doesn’t pay a real sales tax on its stock trades (called a financial transaction tax), while everyday people shopping on Main Street pay sales tax on essential goods like soap, jackets and shoes.
—Susan Harley, The Mercury News, 23 Mar. 2024
Chronicling the lives of ordinary teenagers rather than the glamorous cool kids found on other teen soaps at the time, Paul Feig’s dramedy was (fittingly) misunderstood by its network but later found a loyal cult following.
—Kevin Jacobsen and Hope Lasater, EW.com, 21 Mar. 2024
In 2021, during a stay at a mental health treatment center for prisoners, Williams kicked and threatened to spit on staff member, and hit one in the head with a bar of soap, according to a criminal complaint.
—Journal Sentinel, 20 Mar. 2024
Verb
Don’t try to multitask and rapidly soap up the colander between peeling potatoes.
—Genevieve Ko, New York Times, 20 Nov. 2023
Set up an assembly line from soaping and scrubbing to rinsing to drying.
—Genevieve Ko, New York Times, 20 Nov. 2023
There’s also no need to soap yourself up twice in one day, my cousin reminds me.
—Byalexa Mikhail, Fortune Well, 21 July 2023
The Labigo Cordless Spin Scrubber makes cleaning easy, according to shoppers, eliminating the need to hunch over the bathtub and tirelessly tend to soap scum and hard water stains.
—Clara McMahon, Peoplemag, 12 Feb. 2023
This high-efficiency appliance has a unique two-stage detergent dispenser that releases soap in two different stages for more efficient cleaning power.
—Camryn Rabideau, Popular Mechanics, 25 Jan. 2023
Fill a large bucket or basin up with water, then use a cup to pour the water over your head once or twice to get wet and soap up, and another scoop or two to rinse off.
—Kaelyn Lynch, Outside Online, 25 Apr. 2021
Some chose to soap up the bottoms of their tube, while others extended their arms and legs in hopes of being aerodynamic.
—Amber Love Bond, Forbes, 5 July 2021
The original idea had also been bolstered by Ochoa’s own pre-filmmaking experience as a journalist wondering what went on behind the frosted glass and soaped up windows of north London’s secretive-looking Greek and Turkish social clubs.
—Alex Ritman, The Hollywood Reporter, 23 Apr. 2020
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'soap.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Soap.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/soap. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
soap
1 of 2 noun1
: a substance that is usually made by the action of alkali on fat, dissolves in water, and is used for washing
2
: a salt of a fatty acid
3
soap
2 of 2 verb
: to rub soap over or into
Medical Definition
soap
noun1
: a cleansing and emulsifying agent made usually by action of alkali on fat or fatty acids and consisting essentially of sodium or potassium salts of such acids
2
: a salt of a fatty acid and a metal
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